Softball Sweeps New Rochelle to Level Record at .500

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.—The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) softball avoided a scare from Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference foe The College of New Rochelle coming from behind to take a 10-8 victory in game one before cruising to a 14-0 win in the nightcap on Wednesday evening at Flowers Park.

In the opener, the Lady Bears (11-11, 1-0 HVIAC) took a 3-0 lead through 2 1/2 innings aided by two Blue Angels (0-10, 0-1 HVIAC) miscues that caused all three runs to come in unearned.

The hosts turned the tables with one swing of the bat as Kevona Jackson launched a grand slam in the bottom of the third to take a 4-3 lead.

The Lady Bears jumped back on top with three runs in the next half inning, scoring on Stephanie Rancel (Middle Village, N.Y./Christ the King) fielders choice and a two-run double by Samantha Simon (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Kearney).

But New Rochelle, who has never won in the all-time series of 32 meetings, were poised to break the streak with four more runs to take an 8-6 lead after four innings.

St. Joseph's squashed any hopes of an upset however, jumping back on top with a three-run fifth, the first three batters reaching successfully to set the frame and the Lady Bears knocking five hits highlighted by RBI singles from Destiny Marino (Middle Village, N.Y./Christ the King) and Erica Eddy (Glendale, N.Y./Christ the King).

After entering the game in the fourth, Lady Bears reliever Jamilynn McGowan (Staten Island, N.Y./Petrides) would preserve the one-run lead in the circle, tossing a near perfect final three innings surrendering just one walk over the span to improve to 4-6. McGowan allowed just one earned run on two hits in 3 2/3 innings of work, striking out one and walking two.

Simon, Marino, Eddy and Rancel would each finish with a pair of hits in the opener as the Lady Bears rapped 11 hits in the contest. The Lady Bears tacked on a solo run in the seventh for the final 10-8 margin, the closest game in the all-time series.

In the nightcap, St. Joseph's starter Theresa Armano (Middle Village, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) silenced the Blue Angels bats with a three-hit shutout, her third of the season, striking out six and walking one over five innings of work to improve to 5-0.

The Lady Bears got on the board quickly, scoring three runs in first, Cassandra Molinari (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) opening the scoring by bringing home Simon who doubled before her.

A leadoff triple from Kristen Candelaria (Jamaica, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) in the second would help push the Lady Bears lead to 4-0 before the Lady Bears opened the flood gates with seven runs in the third highlighted by a two-run double from Samantha Rossi (Bayside, N.Y./Mary Louis Academy) and the second double of the game from Simon.

The Lady Bears banged 15 hits in the game with Simon, Molinari, Jackie Perillo (Howard Beach, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy), Candelaria and Eddy all finishing with two hits. Rossi and Geena Campisi (Howard Beach, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) each drove in a team-high four RBI, Rossi collecting a double and Campisi knocking a triple.

St. Joseph's will return to the diamond to face University of Valley Forge in Phoenixville, Pa. for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 18 starting at 5 p.m. (Please note later start time.)